Page 48 of Their Stolen Obsession

Zane exhaled. “As it should, comes from a long line of wealthy assholes.”

It was my turn to chuckle.

Saint blew out a low whistle. “Damn. We got ourselves a billionaire here.”

“A rich man who hasn’t smoked a cigar in weeks.” Zane sighed. His brown-haired head banged against a bar. “Fuck. Anyone got a smoke?”

“Nope.” I answered with the pop of theP.

Zane muttered, “Shit. Worth a shot.”

“I could go for a double cheeseburger right about now,” Saint mumbled from the ground where he remained lying flat on his back. “With extra bacon and a shit ton of fries.”

My stomach grumbled.

“Can I get a whiskey on the rocks with that?” I asked.

We all laughed. The joke was bittersweet. Lasted for a moment until our harsh reality sunk back in.

“So, Zane… What the fuck did you do to get stuck in a place like this?” Saint asked, breaking the silence.

“I shot the leader’s son in the head and blew his fucking brains out,” Zane explained and held an arm out of his cell. “He was a miserable son of a bitch, but he wasn’t the golden child. I got off lucky. Their revenge fire missed me, but a bullet grazed me. Then I got holed up in here. You know the rest of the story.”

“All too well.” I sighed, misery clearly cut through my voice.

I peered down at the brain matter on the ground. A constant fucking reminder of what happened to a soldier who talked, and I kicked dirt at the rotten tissue. Goddamn bullshit. Everything about being caged away in here like an animal was pure hell.

I wanted out badly, I could taste freedom, an escape I’d fight to live for. Any day now, the time would come. I had to stay alive to see a newfound era I was unsure would ever come.

Twenty-Six

Her Predator

Saint

What the hell just happened?

A goddamn flashback in time. Zane Adler. The misery I’d love to forget, but I could never forget him. He was the reason we lived to see another day.

“Zane…” Sin whispered, and he slapped Adler on the shoulder in a friendly gesture. “Goddamn, man! How have you been?”

“Fighting the good fight, my man,” Zane replied, blowing out a smoke cloud and glancing over his shoulder. “Holed up in this shit show.”

“Seriously?” Sin put his knife away. “I’ll be damned.”

Zane took a long drag from his cigar. He tapped the stogie, and ash fell to the ground. Adler was still the way I remembered himfrom the last time I saw him. Except he had gone to the dark side. He was with the Pitrones.

Our time caged away as prisoners of war had warped his damn brain. Fried a part of Zane and made him into the enemy. A threat we had to kill. He stood in our way, and he’d have to suffer for all the harm he had caused. Actions spoke louder than words.

“I don’t believe you. We know innocence is captive there.” My shock turned to anger, and I clenched my fists. “We don’t tolerate anyone laying a hand on what’s ours.”

I was prepared to take Zane down. I’d hold nothing back becausehewas involved with Liv’s capture.Hehad helped keep her away from us.

Zane arched his back, took another inhale of smoke, and puffed it back out. The cigar dropped to the ground, and he stepped on it with the heel of his shoe. The bad habit was out like a light. He cracked his neck to release all the tension, but it was too late for that.

My warning was a threat to Zane and all he stood for. Violence. Murder. Madness. Crime. Mayhem.

Zane crooked an eyebrow. “You’d have to be more specific.”